(670 The Score) Bears general manager Ryan Poles in no way thought the team’s 3-14 record was reflective of coach Matt Eberflus' work in their first season in Chicago.
Poles shared high praise for Eberflus’ work at a season-ending press conference Tuesday, explaining that the Bears’ development amid their struggles started with Eberflus’ leadership.
“The biggest thing was when you have adversity like this and there is a lot of losing towards the end of the season, I was blown away by our guys' ability to stick together,” Poles said. “They practiced with energy and I think that's rare, but it speaks volume on their character and how much they love the game and the buy-in they had for the direction that we're going. I also want to thank our coaches, starting with Eberflus, for keeping everything together. It was cool to see during team meetings throughout the year how authentic he was from a football perspective and getting guys locked in, through adversity, really having a 24-hour rule and for flipping the page to the next one and just attacking it week by week. Was really proud on how he did throughout the season.”
Poles believed that Eberflus help establish a team-first, disciplined culture.
“We were one of the least penalized teams in the league,” Poles said. “The bond I talked about in the locker room, sticking together, as a GM as a head coach, you worry about through adversity the locker room starting to fracture, people being selfish, and that was never the case. There was no finger pointing. The guys bought in. They had fun with each other.”
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